As we enter the fifth month of quarantine restrictions, it may seem like it gets harder and harder to work from home each day. Although the idea of it all may have been appealing back in the day (imagine filing reports and attending morning huddles in your pajamas!), the honeymoon has soured and the muddled distinction between work and home life may get particularly draining. After all, how do you focus on your work duties when your TV is right there begging you to go on a Netflix marathon?
Thankfully, we here at Brevo are learning to adjust to this newfangled setup. Along the way, we’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to best harness and maintain focus during work hours. Check out the productivity hacks our team members use to keep their work-from-home game on point!
“My morning routine is very important to me. If I fail to wake up at 6AM and I miss my morning run and meditation, I know my day will fall apart. I also make it a point to call my teammates at the start of the week so we can write out to-do lists together. Additionally, I’ll sometimes switch up my workstation for the day. It’s nice to have a change in scenery every now and then.”
- Imran, Director
“I make it a point to meditate first thing in the morning. In these uncertain times, taking ten minutes to stay still and breathe really makes a difference in managing my anxiety. I also start the day by writing an extensive to-do list, breaking down all my big tasks into bite-sized steps. Most importantly, I have a hard-and-fast rule about never working from my bed — I just know I’ll get way too comfortable and never get anything done.”
- Jeremiah, Copywriter
“It was pretty easy for me to adjust to working from home, since all I need to do my job is fast Internet and a computer. It was harder though to separate my work life from my home life. So, when I wake up I try to create some time just for myself. I often go to our garden before clocking in to breathe and mentally prepare for the day. I’ve also designated a specific workstation outside my bedroom. I think it has helped me set clear boundaries and maintain a healthy work-life balance.”
- Trisha, Community Manager
“The biggest challenge was tuning out all unnecessary distractions, especially when all my video game consoles are right there. I’ve started to wake up a few hours earlier than usual so I can mentally prepare for the day and list down all of my tasks. I also moved my workstation to our living room, where my brothers are also busy working. I found that being surrounded by busy people simulates an office environment, which helps me focus and keeps me from getting distracted throughout the day.”
- Rafa, Account Executive
“I found it hard to focus at first because my mind is wired to feel at my most comfortable at home. One thing that always helps is coffee, so I make sure that I have it in the morning. I also started working by the window, a place that was both comfortable and conducive to my productivity. I don’t like spending a long amount of time staring at my screen, so I like being able to look out the window and let my eyes rest for a bit. Taking short breaks also helps in avoiding burnouts and regaining my focus. I try to stand up, walk around the house, or play with my dog for a bit every now and then.”
- Carissa, Graphic Designer
Admittedly, the work-from-home isn’t perfect and can cause a lot of annoying inefficiencies. (Ever been on a Zoom call with a coworker with poor signal?) But by writing thorough to-do lists, delineating specific workstations around the house, and taking time for yourself before clocking in, you can keep a high level of productivity even from the comfort of your home.
How do you improve your focus and productivity while working from home? Sound off in the comments below!
I always enjoy working on a new project.
Part of the excitement is talking to the client, understanding their vision, and then collaborating with the Brevo team to make it happen.
Sometimes, however, things don’t always go as planned.
The client might be erratic and change lanes halfway through. Or, as was the case with one particular client, we dropped the ball and fumbled our way to a favorable conclusion.
Our end-product didn’t match what we pitched the client. We managed to finish and deliver, but we had to settle for being content with less than stellar output.
It never happens, but it did.
I’d like to share with you some details of a project that faltered and the hard lessons we learned from the experience.
The Gig
The project was an extensive report for a reputable corporation. We won the project on the strength of our pitch which, we were told, was superior to our name-brand competitors.
We wowed the client with our concepts, unique visual approach, and the pedigree of our writing team. We won the project, got stuck in, and then things never quite went to plan.
By the time we crossed the finish line, nerves were frayed, the client was frazzled, and we were left wondering, “What happened?”
Here’s where we faltered.
1. No champion
The project had no champion. Which is silly, because we ALWAYS have a champion — someone to lead the project, start to finish. Instead, several voices were involved in the project, but with no clear leader as the project lead assigned was hindered by not being given the guidance they deserved.
This led to confusion and, when problems began to rise, team members assumed someone else would handle them. But no one stepped up. Consequently, things began falling through the cracks. In fact, the lack of a clear leader is what led to a myriad of other problems as the project progressed.
Next time we’ll clearly assign a project lead and let them lead. When several strong voices are involved in a project, it may initially be smooth sailing but with no clear leader, it runs the risk of becoming a ghost ship, tossed to and fro on the high seas.
2. Poor communication
No leader led to inconsistent communication — lots of voices and talk, but no one marshalling everything into a seamless whole.
What’s more, we only had one face-to-face meeting with the client — ONE. We normally meet clients on a weekly basis but found ourselves relying mainly on emails for primary communication.
This is not ideal, particularly when details are everything. The client was responsible for providing all the data but they faced their own internal challenges; it was our job to guide and make things easier for them. We failed.
The client deserves regular face-to-face attention, if not in person, at least via video conferencing and voice calls. By not meeting them regularly, we missed out on crucial interaction, deep dives, and sharing of information.
What we should have done is conducted regular meetings with the client. That would have helped with direction, clarity, and expedition of data/materials.
3. Imperfect time management
We had 8 weeks of dev time, which is tight but certainly doable if managed correctly. Unfortunately, the lack of project leadership meant that schedules weren’t managed properly, and endless revisions began to pile up.
Following a debrief with the client we were informed, they believed the revisions they were sending across were assisting us rather than hindering the design team.
They were happy with the output being produced but we were getting lost in what they actually wanted, leading to tighter deadlines which is never ideal for quality output.
It felt like a reservoir waiting to burst, cracking against the weight of multiple edits, updates, and adjustments. As the deadline tightened, we failed to adapt and found ourselves scrambling to plug holes in the dam.
Next time we’ll beorganised from the get-go.We have the tools, the skills, and the experience to handle complex projects. But we succumbed to disorganisation.
4. Poor people management
We had the manpower to handle the project but didn’t properly organize ourselves. Consequently, we ended up being unable to provide adequate creative staff to handle the work.
We eventually had to pull a freelancer on board to help us. This isn’t unheard of, of course. But because it was last minute, it led to a less-than-desired outcome: a report that didn’t feel like Brevo’s signature form.
Lesson learned: Organise yourself.
5. Lack of accountability
The lack of leadership, weak planning, and poor communication could have been solved if we had proper accountability in place.
As CEO, I had an opportunity to act on the red flags. I didn’t. I could have stepped in to troubleshoot the situation. I didn’t. We had a chance to meet our original vision but instead, we floundered.
Problems can go unnoticed in an environment where everyone trusts someone else to help when things get crazy. But in this case, no one was around to help. And i should have been more proactive in getting on top of the situation.
Personally, I will be more discerning of red flags and be a lot more present in situations that are going south.
Summary
The project was delivered to the client’s satisfaction. But not ours. We know we could have done better. We know we could have elevated the project. We certainly shouldn’t have let things run the way they did, somewhat haphazardly and without a rudder.
The silver lining lies in the important lessons learned along the way. I take more away from my failures over my successes. We will be more accountable, more attuned to the warnings of a project about to burst.
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3 years ago I started BREVO, a creative agency in the Philippines.
It was never my intention to do so.
See, I’m from the world of government-to-business consulting, tech, and finance. Born and raised in the UK, I’ve spent a large chunk of my life working with CEOs and government officials in Malaysia and the Middle East to help developing countries, well, develop. I’m an entrepreneur with experience in start-ups and even software development.
But the head of a creative company in the Philippines?
A lot of my friends, when they hear what I’m currently doing, and where I’m doing it, think I’m mad.
“Why the Philippines?”
“You have a wife and kids there?”
“Are you running a sweatshop?”
Like many people outside the Philippines, they don’t fully understand the country’s unique offerings. They think of the “war on drugs”, the lack of infrastructure, and Imelda Marcos’s shoe collection.
But here I am, running my own creative company, and experiencing the highs and lows of doing business in this fascinating — and endlessly challenging — market.
Setting up shop (not a sweatshop)
Let me backtrack a little. In 2011, I had an office in Malaysia with the goal of developing software to serve the Philippine market. I figured we could operate the business remotely, foregoing the need to set-up physically in the Philippines.
It seemed ideal. However, workforce issues in Kuala Lumpur, such as lack of ambition, drive, and loyalty among employees (largely a cultural issue, but that’s another story for another time), convinced me to establish a second base in Metro Manila to try my luck there.
When we moved to the Philippines in 2012, my business partner and I started working with a team of 10–15 people, developing software products and producing content. I was immediately struck by the strong work ethic, deep training, and communication abilities of Filipinos. It was refreshing and intriguing.
Our workforce, primarily made up of fresh graduates from the creative arts and I.T. sector, had well-tuned technical skills. They were loyal, worked hard, had a great deal of talent and passion, as well as a sense of real community. What they seemed to lack was direction and an understanding of entrepreneurship.
A powerful seed was sown in my mind.
The Return
I eventually left for Dubai and the US for more consulting work. But I knew one thing: the Philippines was a creative and technical powerhouse. Which came in handy when my consulting work began to extend to the Philippines years later.
In 2016, I came back to Philippine shores, met an ambitious young consultant and we began working together. We started with banks, creating online solutions and content for financial institutions. Two things quickly became clear: Philippine companies need creative marketing work and the considerable Filipino talent pool was primed to meet this need.
Thus Brevo was born.
That’s the origin story in a nutshell. The growth story, however, is long and arduous! Another post for another day.
For now, I’m just happy to have a company that’s thriving in the Philippine market. No easy feat, and a lot of sweat, tears, and hair follicles were given up to make this happen.
I’ll tell you about it one day soon. As they say here, “sa susunod nalang!”
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